Difference between revisions of "Pilon"

Revision as of 14:37, 2 May 2006

{{Infobox X2 Nation | subject_name=[1] | flag= | motto=The greatest power lies in the genetic code. | map= | region=The Planet Mars | languages= Pilonese, English, Aquan| capital= Transhumana | leader= Headspeaker | leadername= [[Pilias Simber] | total area= 15,500,000 KM³ on Mars| water area= 99% | pop=7 Billion | density= 1,500/KM³ | GDP= ∏246,400,000,000,000 | Per Capita= ∏35,000 currency=Pi | domain= .ndlk }}

The People's Greater Hegemony of Pilon, referred to more often simply as Pilon, is a Virtual Democracy located primarily in the Northern Ocean, surrounding the Lyot Crater on [Mars]. In addition, Pilon has a number of smaller colonies and outposts spread throughout the solar system and beyond. Among Pilon's neighbors are Tiburon, R'yleh, The Snel, and the Neutral Northern Ocean Trade Waters.

The Martian territories are treated with total equality, with the colonies and outposts only receiving a larger amount of the total resources of Pilon due to a majority of the population residing on Mars. The citizens of Pilon are usually called Pilonese. The Nation is an economic powerhouse on Mars, conducting trade with as many other nations as possible not just on Mars, but with also with off world nations too. The Government of Pilon is heavily influenced by the corporations in Pilon, many of whom have joined together into powerful Megacorps.

The nation of Pilon was founded upon the principle of taking control of ones and nature around them by embracing certain technologies including bio-engineering, bio-augmentation, and social engineering (highly developed with the full understanding of the Human psyche, late in the 21st century). The Secret Society that origanally adopted these priciples was formed as a splinter group of [Transhumanism] in the early 21st century on [Earth].

When space travel was developed the nation left the cradle to settle on the soon to be Terraformed [Mars] in the hopes of starting anew without the interference of an already existing biosphere. That experiment grew into what is now known commonly as the Eco-Jungle, a voracious underwater biosphere, with millions of competing species all precisely controlled and adjusted over time. Their work is unparalled in Human history.

In addition the pivotal piece of Pilonese technology is called the Nodelink, which is a collective knowledge base accessed through use of implanted Nodes or Node-Ports. The Nodelink gives a person access to the common knowledge of the people of Pilon, even allowing the sharing of thoughts, feelings, even providing a place for communication with not just other Pilonese, but also the Eco-Jungle around them. This connection to their environment gives the Pilonese people a unique perspective on the world, often an alien one to other cultures that is somewhat unnerving to those not used to their culture. In addition the liberal viewpoints on Sexuality, Nudity, Capitolism, and even Genetic Engineering make it very difficult for them to get along with some of their less liberal neighbors.

Geography

Location - Northern Martian Ocean, bordering R'yleh, Tiburon, The Snel, Kalessin, Tor Yvresse, and the International Trade Waters of the Northern Ocean.

Area - Mars – 15,500,000 KM³

Netheril – 3,375,000,000 KM³

Mars B - 475,000,000 KM³

Note - Does not colonies and bases, only large population centers.

Ocean Boundaries - 3,200 KM

Natural Resources - Exotic Foods, High Yield Food Supplies, Fish, Noble Gases, Nitrogen, Sulfur, Carbon, Oxygen, Calcium, Chlorine, Iron, Uranium, Zinc, Tin, Copper, Silicon, Biomass, Pearls, Timber, Titanium, Quartz, Silicates, Nitrates, Deuterium, Tritium, Methane, Platinum, Tungsten, Ivory

Climate Tropical

Average Temperature of Water – 35ºC

Average Temperature within Arcologies - 43ºC

Air Pressure – 850mb

Average Humidity – 78-88%

Rainfall (On Land or Over Sea Territory) – 500-650 cm/year

Average Number of Species per Hectare – 450,000

Ocean Use - Agricultural Domes - 23% Cultivated Sea Farms - 16% Arcologies - 21% Eco-Jungle - 33%

People

Major Languages - Pilonese (99%), English (85%), Aquan (55%), Elphin (50%), Elven (50%), Orc (45%), Gnomish (40%), Dwarven (22%), Protoss (15%), French (12%), Spanish (10%), Arabic (8%), Russion (7%), Mandarin Chinese (5%), Japanese (5%), German (5%)

Population - (Sentient Only)

Mars – 2,500,000,000 Mars B - 1,000,000,000 Netheril – 475,000,000

Ctan Territories - 3,000,000,000

Other – 25,000,000

By Age

0-18 Years – 6.7%

19-55 Years – 5.3%

56-150 Years – 6.6%

151-275 Years – 9.4%

276-500 Years – 18.2%

501-1,000 Years – 15.8%

1,000-2,500 Years – 12.1%

2,501-5,000 - 15.1%

5,001+ - 10.8%

By Race (Sentient Races Only)

Transhuman (32%)

Elf - (28%)

Elphin - (13%)

Gnome – (11%)

Dwarf - (6%)

Protoss - (2%)

Orc - (2%)

Human - (1%)

Other - (Multiple Races each consists of less than a percentage point) (5%)

By Sentience

Sentient – .00001%

Non-Sentient – 99.99999%

By Gender

Male – 35%

Female – 55%

Other – 10%

By Residence

Urban – 99.1%

Rural – .9%

Surface – .3%

Underwater – 96.7%

Orbital – 3%

Government

Name of Nation - Greater People's Hegemony of Pilon

Conventional Short Form - Hegemony of Pilon, or just Pilon

Abbreviation - GPH

Government Type - Constitution Based Virtual Democracy; Strong Capitalist Tradition

Legal System - Federal Court System based on common law. Judicial Review of Legislative Acts as influenced by the Directive Branch.

Suffrage - 56 years old; universal

Executive Branch - Headspeaker Pilias Simber Other Speakers of the Council - Ben Richards, Maren Touraine-Simber, Ap Chip Fa Ta, Teran Simber, Ahoyo Maquo, and Issac Malisse

Legislative Branch - Assembly - Every Citizen who is not currently serving as a representative of the Executive, Judicial, or Directive Branch

Judicial - National Court of 9 appointed for life by the Council of Speakers, Pilon Court of Appeals, and Pilon Higher and Lower Arcology Courts

Economy

Major Exports – Exotic Foods, Specialized Foods, Genetically Improved Foods, Technology, Pressurized Gases, Processed Metals, Weapons, Chemical Agents, Biological Agents, Biomass, Food, Energy, Luxury Items, Manufactured Goods, Technical Experts

Major Imports – Technology, Nitrogen, Exotic Food, Rare Metals, Manufactured Goods, Raw Materials, Weapons, Biological Agents, Chemical Agents

Major Industries – Agriculture, Bio-weapons, Chemical Weapons, Retail, Soda Pop, Gambling, Book Publishing, Information Technology, Furniture, Fishing, Manufacturing, Weapons Manufacturing, Automobile, and Cheese

Currency – Pi

Symbol - ∏

The Pilonese Economic System follows the Free Market system, almost to an extreme. Everything in Pilon is privatised with the exception of a tiny government that prevents Monopolies and regulates international relations, though through the Directive Branch the Megacorps wield influence over much of Pilon's Government Agencies. A small flat tax is levied on all services and products sold in Pilon, and on the incomes of those who live in the nation. There are no tariffs in Pilon.

Foreign Relations

Pilon's Foreign Policy

Ever since the civil war much effort has been made to improve the diplomatic relations with all nations nearby Pilon. Pilon joined into economic and mutual defense treaties, mostly involving Mars, it's primary residence including MFTA and MIDAS. With the creation of MDI Pilon left MIDAS in favor of the new alliance. Pilon endeveurs to establish both diplomatic and trade relations with as many nations as possible setting up embassies in all nations that Pilon considers to be on good terms with currently. Pilon also hopes to become a more active voice in Martian Politics as efforts are made to reform a more powerful Duma, or at least make the current Duma workable. Recently two of Pilon's largest Megacorps, PPC and Genesis Corp, have made a deal with the Ctan to employ some of the more poverty sticken Pilonese in service industry jobs in Ctan. In addition Pilon endeveurs ever to gain acceptance by ToY members, in the hopes of one day being invited to join its membership.

Research Projects

As a majority of the focus in Pilon is on the advancement of Science and answering the questions of the universe it should be detailed about how research is carried out in Pilon. Those who are scientists are given all that they need to work on their projects, materials are provided by manufacturers as long as the needs do not exceed the specified amount determined by the Arbitrators. Food and other needs are also provided for. A scientist working on a research project will often fully envelop themselves in the project devoting years, decades, sometimes even centuries of their life to the project. They are free to leave at any time but most often stay as it tends to be their life’s dream to see the fruition of the project. Once a project is complete is oftentimes will find a new focus for itself or sometimes will disband and the scientists will go their separate ways. Pilon spends approximately 50% of its total GNP on these projects.

Some of the current projects of note include, The Bio-weapons Project, The DNA Cataloging Project (Cataloging how practically every combination or variation in the DNA strand will affect a being), and more recently a new effort to drastically improve the Pilonese Space Force in a project called the Ragnarok Project.

Education

One of the major focus’, especially for native born Pilonese is the integration with the Node Implant they receive before birth (usually about 7-9 months into pregnancy).

At first it merely broadcasts information and not much can be picked up by the infant however as they grow and learn how to better control their bodies and their minds develop more they acquire the ability to access information from the Nodelink. As education is the fundamental focus of raising a child in Pilon they go to school for the first 25 years of their life, but it is divided into two separate stages.

The first stage, which begins as soon as the child is sent to the crèche, the main focus is on general education and social development. Fellow members of the crèche interact and are raised together for their entire childhood and often these relationships last throughout the entire life of the person. The young children receive their education from pretty much everyone in the community. People donate their time freely and take turns, usually about 1 time a month, spending a day with the children and teaching them the lessons of the day. For the younger children the daily care taking activities are managed by specially designed modules in the crèche that make sure the children are intellectually stimulated, fed, kept clean, and get plenty of rest.

By the time the children reach the age of 13 they are moved out of the crèche and into the Dormitory. The children are taught more of the same broad educational material they began in crèche but also will begin to focus on specific areas that interest them. They will often be taken up by a mentor who already works in the field they are studying for. In addition the social interactions become more complex and intermingling between Dormitories is encouraged to get the children out and among as many different people as possible. By this time they also often have full access to the information on the Nodelink and are encouraged to participate in debates and political discussions so they can make educated decisions when voting in the Assembly.

For immigrants who are not born in Pilon it can be a bit harder to integrate yourself into the society but recently initiatives have been put into place to more quickly integrate outsiders into Pilon. In order to properly access most information networks an immigrant will need to receive a Node implant. At first it can be disorienting but an advanced VR tutorial has been developed that can be taken at your own pace during free time to increase the amount of time it takes to be able to fully use it. Even so it will still take as long as 20-30 years for some though most people are can do it in as short as 5 years.

In order to receive the implant an Immigrant must first become a citizen as only citizens are allowed to have active Nodes. Those citizens that choose to revoke their citizen status find within a few hours that their node has broken itself down, like most Pilonese devices it has a self destruct mechanism that can be activated by the Nodelink at any time.

For tourists and those that are not citizens there are Node Access points that allow access to most of the information on the Nodelink but do not allow access to memories or emotions of people. These access points can also be integrated into wireless connections with other types of Computer networks to allow access to virtually any other network that is compatible.

Throughout the education system physical exercise is also emphasized. In the lower gravity colonies as much as 4 hours a day are spent working out to keep the body in good shape, though chemical treatments do exist to help counteract the negative symptoms of a change in G, the Pilonese know that the best way to keep healthy is to keep physically fit.

Technology

Communications

The Pilonese communicate mostly via the Nodelink, however to help accommodate those without Nodes they also broadcast messages via the MNN and other related Communications Networks. A backup system uses pulsed light to send communications but it requires a line of sight to use.

In addition the most commonly used form of information storage in Pilon is DNA coding where information is stored in information packets attached to the DNA of the carrier. A more recent advance also allows the transfer of information at the Subatomic Level attaching information onto Quarks, but this technology is still under development and hasn’t become widespread yet.

Pilon also makes heavy use of PNN (Pilon News Network) Which links directly into the global MNN network and allows Pilonese to view events going on in the rest of Mars and also allows the rest of Mars to see whats happening in Pilon.

Travel

The primary means of transportation in Pilon is through the vast system of Maglevs that crisscross through Pilon territory. In both Sisgardia and Mars Pilon is interconnected with other nations in an international network of Maglevs.

In addition to the Maglevs, Pilon used many small shuttles and transports to transport people and cargo short distances. For longer distances cargo carriers and node-link transfers are used. Using access ports two people connected by the Node-link can transfer matter from one place to another, the transfer is nearly instantaneous and is similar in design to wormhole technology.

Though Pilon has not spent a huge amount of effort in space travel they have had the technology to travel faster than light for sometime. Using Hyperspace engines they can travel from a known point to another known point or with specially equipped explorer ships travel to explore new points of entry. With the majority of resources being concentrated into Genetics however only a small portion of research goes into space travel.

Weapons

Most of the weaponry in Pilon is organic based. The three primary types of weaponry used in Pilon are Ballistic Weapons, Explosive Weapons, and Energy Weapons. Though these weapons are organic based, when compared to traditional weaponry used by other nations these weapons are on par with them, only the method of manufacture is changed.

The Ballistic Weapons are by far the most common type of weapons used in Pilon. They come in a variety of forms anywhere from microscopic parasites to massive suicidal drones that will crash into objects.

The Explosive Weapons are a specially developed organic compound that is grown in farms. It is compressed and sometimes used in combination with Ballistic Weapons.

The Energy Weapons are usually only used in the largest structures as they require large amounts of power to utilize. Most of the Energy Weapons currently used are plasma based weapons. These are primarily used to drain energy shields. They are able to sustain a constant beam on the target often able to quickly take out the energy shield allowing other forms of weapons to get past and hit the ship directly.

In addition it’s been well documented that Pilon used a variety of Chemical and Biological Weapons in battle. These primarily come in the form of specially designed virus or chemical compounds extracted from plants or animals in Pilon.

Defensive Systems

Like everything else the Defensive Systems of Pilon are also mostly Organic Based. On a personal level most defensive systems consist of Carapace Armor, grown on the Organism or Grafted onto the body, or as Stealth system designed to prevent detection. The Carapace Armor is capable of rapidly shifting its form to evenly distribute the energy of an attack throughout the entire armor, this is particularly effective against Kinetic Energy as it will spread the energy of bullets all across the armor drastically decreasing the damage done to the armor.

Some recent advances in Stealth Technology have allowed specially designed organisms to meld into the shapes of beings they have taken DNA samples of and can even mask their own DNA to resemble that of their targets.

Many of the larger life-forms also sport point defense weaponry or defensive fields that will destroy incoming missiles or other projectiles. They have also been known to use a carpet defense system involving millions of tiny “Gnats” which swarm around and intercept incoming weapons taking the brunt of the damage from the weapon.

In addition some of the larger buildings, installations and ships have Energy Shields to protect against attacks but unfortunately when using these protective shields most weapons cannot be used to fire back and are usually only used for short periods to regroup forces or to holdout until reinforcements can come, or the ship can get away.

Overall Pilon has built an integrated network of orbital Stations, Satellites, and Ground based systems in Sisgardia, Mars, and Netheril to defend against invasion. Underwater their Eco-jungle’s outer limits are outfitted with plants specially designed as monitoring stations that watch the borders and defend against hostiles.

Due to Pilon's stance against the use of Weapons of Mass destruction except in the case of ultimate destruction the Pilonese people have spent hundreds of years developing countermeasures to such weapons, especially Nuclear weapons. These countermeasures involve the use of Pilon's own Weapons of Mass Destruction, referred to as Eco-Bombs and repulsor fields that slow down incoming projectiles. The integration of these Eco-Bombs into the Pilonese Defense Network is capable of deploying against such weapons with between 90-100% accuracy depending on the advance warning, method of deployment, and location of the launch sites.

Medical

As the main focus in Technology in Pilon is Genetics and Biology many advances have made their way over to the medical field giving Pilon quite advanced Medical Technology as well.

Using advances in Genetic Engineering Pilon has developed a means to indefinitely extend the life of a living being. Life extension techniques have been around in Pilon now for 1000 years and there are still some people living in Pilon now from those times.

Another often used technology in Pilon is Cloning. They have developed two different applications for this technology, the first allows for multiple copies of a life-form to be created and born, each with an identical DNA. The other, newer technique allows for a subject to be given a specific DNA pattern who can then be grown in an accelerated environment until they reach the desired state. This also carries over to the growth of replacement organs and limbs, and the mass production of any type of Biological Component.

The use of Bionics and Cybernetics is widespread in Pilon, almost all citizens sport some sort of augmentation even if it’s a simple Node Implant. Many have more, some with as much as 100% of their bodies replaced by some sort of artificial replacement that augments their bodies. Pilon encourages this as it allows for greater diversity in its populace and an increased capability.

Genetic or Nano-augmentation is also widespread. Many people at the very least take some sort of Intellect enhancing serum that improves mental capacity or improves memory. Others, especially soldiers inject Nanites programmed to constantly repair the human body allowing them to recover from a wound in hours instead of days, or minutes instead of hours. Only the most lethal injuries are fatal for these people.

Due to advances environmental controls the birthrate as compared to the conception rate is nearly equal, only .01% of conception do not make it to birth, though some are induced as early as 1 hour after conception to ensure no health problems occur for the embryo. It is considered a tragedy and will often make the news if an embryo is lost unintentionally.

Disease is widespread, but only at younger ages, after a few decades most of the diseases in Pilon have already infected a person and immunity to the disease has been built up or treatments have prevented death. Numerous inoculations to diseases are given out and some vaccines though the concentration is more on treatments after infection has occurred. The widespread disease is mostly due to the wide variety of life forms and the widespread use and experimentation with Diseases. It is estimated that as much as 5% of the total population of Pilon dies each year to diseases.

In pharmacology the focus is not on the symptoms but rather on the cause of the symptoms and as such drugs are not nearly as widespread as alternate forms of treatments that actually take care of the problem not symptoms. Drug use is still widespread for recreational use.

Due to the extraordinarily high number of species in the Pilonese eco-jungle, all kinds of medicines have been discovered from the plants that grow. Many of these drugs have become widespread in recreational use.

In warfare each soldier is equipped with a monitoring system that alerts implanted nanites of damage to the soldier. The nanites are then released into the bloodstream of the soldier to stabilize the soldier and then begin work to repair the damage. Wounds that would normally render a soldier incapable of fighting can be repaired in a matter of mintes to hours. In addition in the case of the death of the soldier this system will rapidly break down the body of the fallen soldier and return the nutrients into the biosphere, giving a boost to Pilon when fighting on homesoil for every defender they lose.

Pilon also equips most of their soldiers with treatments, cures, or vaccines for the commonly used chemical and biological weapons used in warfare, allowing Pilonese forces to still operate in battlefields that have been contaminated by Chemical or Biological weapons.

Power

Most power generated in Pilon comes from one of two different types of chemical process. The first, in Plant Based life-forms generates power through Photosynthesis. The second, in Animal Based life-forms comes from Food Digestion.

In some of the more complex or larger structures these power generation techniques are augmented by Cold Fusion Reactors.

Construction and Architecture

Most structures in Pilon are grown rather than built. The design is made and programmed into the DNA of the cells then chemical proteins specially designed to speed up the growth process are introduced to augment the RNA. The speed that a building grows increases exponentially as time passes until it reaches its final state. It will usually take 3 days to grow a single story building of about 1000³Meters.

Once completed Nanites are introduced to the structure to maintain its form, in addition the structure can heal itself. All buildings are linked to the Nodelink as are all ships.

One of the pinnacles of Pilonese construction efforts was the Hellas Tunnel construction effort, which delves straight through the planet connecting Pilon's territory with the Hellas Sea using a combination of ultra strong and flexible carbon lining outlining the tunnel and preventing the molten mantle from rushing into the tunnel and also absorbing much of the heat from the Mantle which is then transferred to power collectors providing a nice source of power for Pilon. Then one side of the tunnel was lined with Gravity Generators to create a "bottom" and was filled with water to allow Pilon's ships to sail through the planet from Pilon to Hellas. Recently this tunnel was quadrupled in size to allow greater flow of traffic.

Parasciences

Para-Sciences – A bit of research has also been put into what Pilon classifies as Para-Sciences, namely Psionics, but also applications into Magic and other similar pursuits. Not much progress has been made except in the area of Psionics. Approximately 1% of the population has exhibited Psionic Potential and after proper instruction has been made into effective Empaths, Telepaths, or even a few Telekineticists. These people are used in Special Forces units in the Military and also in Civilian life in a variety of economic ventures.

Magic is less commonly used as the development of this force has only existed in Pilon for the last decade or so. Used primarily for transportation there has also been some studies into magical defences, energy sources, and even weapons development. A great research has been put into defences against magical forms of attack as well, especially since the Osage Incident.

Pseudosciences

Pilon has spent quite a bit of time in experimentation in the Pseudo-Sciences of Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Xeno-Psychology, and other similar pursuits. Using the knowledge gained from such research they have developed an effective means of education that allows for greater acceptance of differences in others and a society that is inclusive of dozens of various races with almost no discrimination or prejudice.

Considerable research has been put toward learning effective Psy-Ops, Xeno-relations, and Propaganda. One of Pilon's largest obsticles in the international community is overcoming the differences in culture between the Pilonese and most other cultures and many prejudices against Pilonese way of life exist especially among the Menelmacari.

Culture

The Pilonese culture is widely misunderstood by most other nations and takes a while to get used to my other cultures. Unfortunately for Pilon these cultural differences result in misunderstandings that tend to cause other nations to develop prejudices against Pilon. Above all else is the issue of what is called "Genecide" by other nations. This misunderstanding stems from the practice in Pilon of eliminating species from their ecosystem when their uses are replaced by better or more efficient species. They have never exterminated a sentient species and maintain that its this critical difference that makes all the difference. Other issues involve experimentation that are conducted on the DNA of various sentient species, most namely the Elves and Orcs. There is a certain amount of hostility toward Pilon regarding light shed on the development of the Elphin race, a hybrid of Dolphin and Elven DNA. It is now rumored that there has been experimentation on a hybrid between Elves and Orcs to reduce the racial tensions between these races passed down from immigrants of other nations. Probably one of the largest aspects that is hard to get used to is the alien world in which the Pilonese reside. Everything from the buildings to the animal life around them is biological based. The entire culture lives in harmony with this constructed ecosystem. Though foreigners are not forced to participate with this integration this often enhances the sense of seperation experienced making them more uncomfortable. Another aspect of Pilonese culture that is alien to almost all other cultures is their belief that part of this harmony includes allowing diseases, which run rampant throughout Pilon, to run their course. Treatments are developed to ease the symptoms and vaccines are developed for foreigners and others who do not wish to be sick but for the most part all Pilonese do nothing to prevent the spread of disease losing as much as 10% of their total population each year to disease. These losses are almost entirely the youngest demographics as the older you get the more resistant to all forms of disease you become in Pilon due to the side effects of life extension treatments. This incredible loss of life is countered by the extreme number of children born each year. The Pilonese are one of the most promiscuous cultures on Mars with as many as 15% of the total population born each year. Due to actions in the past that have adversely affected the Pilonese people they are adamantely opposed to the use of Weapons of Mass Destruction, especially the use of Nuclear weapons and will only advocate the use of such weapons by the Pilonese military in the case of facing an overwhelming force that is likely to cause the destruction of the Pilonese people and their nation. They haved vowed to respond violently to any nation that uses Weapons of Mass Destruction on Mars, even to the point of supporting the use of Weapons of Mass Destruction against that nation to bring about the downfall of nation.

Social Issues

The healthcare in Pilon is an intricate system that gives access to even the most advanced facilities to those that can afford to pay for it. A large number of people in Pilon work in the medical field and a push for this type of work is encouraged at a young age to keep the number of healthcare providers up. Swift transportation and advanced life support systems allow for all but the most severe injuries to be taken care of and only rarely does someone die from an injury when they are covered by a health coverage contract. Unfortunately many of the most poor cannot afford any coverage and are left to fend for themselves, many of whom die before reaching the age 50. Many of those who are poor have now been employed by the Ctan in the service industry, allowing them greater access to healthcare than they could afford domestically. This has reduced the Pilonese mortality rate, but also the fertility rate, resulting in a lower demographic equilibrium. Some experimentation with life transference techniques are being developed and one day its hoped they will lead to a treatment even for those who die instantaneously, though much more research in this area still needs to be done. All Pilonese cities are covered with maintenance symbiotes that clean up waste and break it down for use in the support systems of Pilon. Everything is recycled and reused including those that die. To keep the body clean sonic washers are kept next to almost every entrance and exit in almost all buildings and washing facilities exist in most homes and in public baths, which are a popular social gathering point as well.

Even in Pilon there is crime, though the crime rate is very low. The Judicial Branch has published a number of guidelines for various offences but it’s completely up to the judge to determine what sentence is given if found guilty. Before a sentence can be given though a person must first be found guilty by a jury of 10 randomly selected individuals and 2 AIs programmed specifically to look at the facts of the case to determine guilt. There is no death sentence in Pilon, most punishments involve massive re-education and brainwashing, though some go a few steps further in corrective action totally reprogramming or even erasing a person’s memory or personality then giving them a new one. Incarceration is only used for as long as the legal proceedings are going on and while the sentence is being prepared.

There are many types of leisure activities in Pilon. There are a variety of sports that are very popular, anything from more traditional Earth sports to new inventions that involve Zero-Gravity or low G environments. In addition to sports there are a wide variety of physical or simulated physical activities including swimming, rock climbing, hiking, camping, and other outdoor sports and there are also advanced games of all kinds. Pilonese delve into new technology to spend their leisure time on as voraciously as they pursue all other types of technology as leisure is seen as one of the best ways to make one’s life happy and more fulfilling.

There are thousands of political parties in Pilon. Rules have been passed limited the political party to one issue only, meaning that every time a new political issue comes up a new political party is formed for each stance that people take on the issue, usually 5-12 per issue. These limits are an attempt to keep political parties from dictating the policies of Pilon and instead allow the people of Pilon to dictate policy.

Military Information

There are 7 branches in the Pilonese Military. They are the Army, the Navy, the Submarine Guard, The Marines, The Aerospace Force, The Space Fleet, and the Space Marines. All of the branches take advantage of the very best in genetic and bionic augmentation to enhance the combat ability of its members, though the specifics vary from branch to branch. The members of the active duty military are taken from birth and trained in military installations. They are completely controlled by the Military and specialize as killing machines making them exceptional at their jobs. They have no remorse or compassion and lack any sense of right or wrong, only following the orders of their superiors and following the rank structure of the military. It is said by many reservists that the active duty Military is very creepy, and many prefer to avoid interaction with the active duty as much as possible. The reservists are regular citizens who wish to serve in the military but are not as fully trained as the active duty military, but serve as a good backup force that is low cost and quick to bolster defense if the need arises.

The Army

The Army is one of the smallest of the Military Branches; their primary use is in defending the Arcologies from invading enemies and to conduct long term ground missions in foreign territories. Historically they tend to be used as the occupation force after an attack. The Army is further divided into the Bio-Engineered Warmachines that make up the Aerial Support and Mechanized elements of the army, and the actual ground force which is further divided into light forces, mainly used to hold defensive positions, flank, and snipe the enemy, the medium forces, used mainly to reinforce weak positions, bring in heavier weapons than light forces usually carry, and secure territory, and the Heavy elements, which are primarily used to take out enemy mechanized, aerial, and Infantry forces, serve as a frontline trooper against an incoming enemy, and take the brunt of the punishment in an engagement. Survivability rate is progressively lower as you gain in firepower, but so is your offensive capability and the extent to which you are genetically modified.

The Navy

The Navy is the largest of the branches in the Military; their primary use is in defending the water territories of Pilon against foreign invaders. Only a few vessels in the fleet are surface vessels, mainly used as PT vessels hunting unauthorized vessels, most are underwater vessels. Most of the augmentations used by the navy involve genetic adaptations to underwater living, like enhanced tolerance to pressure changes, gills, and even fins, flippers or webbed appendages. Some are also given vision enhancements to allow better vision when in low light, or no light areas. An elite team of Special Forces Navy known as the Infiltrators also exists. Infiltrators are trained in infiltration and espionage techniques as well as a variety of commando tactics and have been given genetic enhancements that allow then to change color, shape, or even facial features. Most of the actual Bio-Engineered ships in the Navy are designed to be quick, manuveurable, and adaptive to a variety of weapons systems that could be brought to bear on them. When used against vessels capable of both water and air or space travel the specialized Naval vessels have a clear advantage. Many of the larger vessels act as carriers to symbiotic lifeforms that will be launched into the water to swarm the enemy.

The Submarine Guard

The Submarine Guard protects the Arcologies of Pilon from attack but is primarily used to fight Piracy and terrorism in the water. They are the back up defense behind the Navy against foreign invasion. Most augmentations are similar to that of the Navy’s augmentations, and the ships tend to be faster and lighter than Naval Vessels. They also have fewer carrier vessels. In wartime they tend to serve as scouts and patrol vessels.

The Marines

The Marines are the assault force of the Navy and Submarine Guard. They are specially trained in underwater combat and storming ships or coastal assaults. Historically they tend to be used as shock troops in attacks. Of all the branches the Marines are the most heavily augmented, some being so heavily changed they are no longer recognizable as whatever race they once were. These include gills, vision enhancements, exo-skeletal enhancements, physical enhancements, wings, multiple appendages, or even nano-treatments that allow for rapid healing and wound recovery. Special Units of the Marines include entire units of flight enhanced Marines that perform aerial missions and “Tunneler” units that can quickly burrow underground and come up from the ground. They also have a unit that serves as a heavy assault unit. There is also a Special Force of Marines trained as Commandos who are used for specific small missions to extract critical data, or to take our specific targets.

The Marines also include Bio-Engineered units that tend to be hybrid Army/Navy units capable of both water and land missions, and serve as the Mechanized and Aerial forces of the Marines.

Task Force Wendigo, an elite unit specifically trained as an expeditionary force specializing in combat against Aumani war tactics is one of the best trained units in the Pilonese Military and draws heavily from the Marines. Only the top military personnel can get into the unit and they are given the lastest and most advanced technology Pilon has to offer. It is a division sized element.

The Aerospace Force

The Aerospace Force defends Pilon’s skies and patrols the lower orbit above Pilon, monitoring everything that flies through it. Most Aircraft are capable of atmospheric and orbital operation as well as aerial combat and are often used as a back up force in orbital battles. The primary augmentations given to the Aerospace Force include reflex enhancers, sensory enhancements, neural-ship integrations, and adaptations for high G tolerance. Unlike many of the other branches many of the Aerospace Bio-Engineered creations rely on their pilots, the two are joined into a symbiotic unit that feels and hears everything as one. The pilot steers and acquires targets while the ship takes care of everything else including weapons systems and maintatence/repair.

The Spacefleet

The Spacefleet’s primary mission is the defend Pilon against threats from orbit and to hunt down and destroy orbital pirates or terrorists. It is the second largest Branch in the Military and mostly consists of smaller ships that swarm the enemy. The smaller ships also allow for a greater number of patrols and greater versatility in the distribution of the force. The Spacefleet uses similar augmentations as the Aerospace Force. A special division of the Spacefleet specializes in Orbital Bombardment and has ships specially equipped with orbit to ground weapons like Mass Drivers and pinpoint targeted ballistic systems.

The Space Marines

The Space Marines are the orbital equivalents of the Marines. They are fully trained in orbital combat and the assault of enemy ships and are used to take control of damaged or disabled ships in a battle. The Space Marines use similar augmentations as the Marines. In addition to ship to ship combat the Marines are trained for Aerospace Insertion and Orbit to Ground invasion techniques. Each trooper is equipped with their own personalized space transport that allows for rapid deployment to positions.

Civilian Defence Forces

In addition to the Military Pilon also employs a number of Civil Defense Forces that protect the Civilian Population, these include the Police, The Foreign Investigative Body, The Internal Security Force, The National Investigation Bureau, The Paranormal Special Forces Agency, and the Civil Defense Organization.

The Police are the enforcers of the Counsel of Speakers. They maintain peace and order in Pilon and make sure that everyone is obeying the law.

The Foreign Investigative Body (FIB) is the Espionage Agency of Pilon, they send agents into other countries and work with allied Espionage Agencies to gather intelligence and keep tabs on nations that are considered a threat to the safety of Pilon.

The Internal Security Force (ISF) is a force that monitors things in Pilon and tries to root out spies or other security threats in Pilon. They are the most secretive of all the agencies in Pilon.

The National Investigation Bureau (NIB) are a national force of Investigators that look into major incidents in Pilon to try to determine the cause of the incident, they work closely with the Police and the ISF.

The Psionic Special Forces Agency (PSA) are specially trained people who have displayed Psionic ability who perform a variety of Special Services only a Psionic could perform, whether it be for the Military, the Government, or Private Contractors.

The Civil Defense Organization is a Civilian Group dedicated to the preservation of Pilon. They train civilians in the use of weapons and set up facilities to maintain combat ability for civilians. They make for a quick source of militias or recruits to the military if the need arises.

International Rankings

Copied directly from nation. Repeated rankings will be copied over last entries.

(October 3, 2005) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 164th in the world for Largest Timber Woodchipping Industry.

(March 3, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 274th in the world for Largest Mining Sector.

(October 6, 2005) Pilon is ranked 17th in the region and 109,266th in the world for Most Compassionate Citizens.

(October 24, 2005) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 1,037th in the world for Healthiest Nations.

(October 10, 2005) Pilon is ranked 16th in the region and 63,366th in the world for Most Politically Free Nations.

(December 14, 2005) Pilon is ranked 7th in the region and 1,301st in the world for Rudest Citizens.

(October 30, 2005) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 170th in the world for Largest Basket Weaving Sector.

(November 4, 2005) Pilon is ranked 18th in the region and 110,536th in the world for Best Weather.

(October 17, 2005) Pilon is ranked 4th in the region and 368th in the world for Most Eco-Friendly Governments.

(October 18, 2005) Pilon is ranked 4th in the region and 828th in the world for Most Subsidized Industry.

(October 19, 2005) Pilon is ranked 23rd in the region and 110,333rd in the world for Stupidest Citizens.

(March 8, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 225th in the world for Largest Automobile Manufacturing Sector.

(October 21, 2005) Pilon is ranked 3rd in the region and 778th in the world for Fastest-Growing Economies.

(November 23, 2005) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 165th in the world for Largest Soda Pop Sector.

(February 22, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 124th in the world for Largest Information Technology Sector.

(November 28, 2005) Pilon is ranked 10th in the region and 18,739th in the world for Safest Nations.

(October 27, 2005) Pilon is ranked 7th in the region and 11,778th in the world for Highest Police Ratios.

(October 28, 2005) Pilon is ranked 8th in the region and 2,496th in the world for Largest Agricultural Sector.

(January 5, 2005) Pilon is ranked 21st in the region and 109,970th in the world for Most Devout Nations.

(November 26, 2005) Pilon is ranked 11th in the region and 14,577th in the world for Greatest Rich-Poor Divides.

(November 2, 2005) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 121st in the world for Most Rebellious Youth.

(November 3, 2005) Pilon is ranked 19th in the region and 110,425th in the world for Most Politically Apathetic Citizens.

(November 7, 2005) Pilon is ranked 2nd in the region and 525th in the world for Largest Nations.

(November 14, 2005) Pilon is ranked 2nd in the region and 5,236th in the world for Most Comprehensive Public Healthcare.

(November 18, 2005) Pilon is ranked 8th in the region and 21,745th in the world for Most Liberal Nations.

(January 19, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 199th in the world for Largest Retail Sector.

(November 21, 2005) Pilon is ranked 2nd in the region and 490th in the world for Most Cultured.

(February 20, 2006) Pilon is ranked 2nd in the region and 449th in the world for Largest Defense Forces (per capita).

(September 16, 2004) Pilon is ranked 6,043 in the world for Environmental Spending.

(February 10, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 165th in the world for Largest Pizza Delivery Sector.

(May 18, 2004) Pilon is ranked 50,121 in the world for Nudest country.

(February 1, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 75th in the world for Largest Trout Fishing Sector.

(February 7, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 89th in the world for Largest Furniture Restoration Industry.

(December 15, 2005) Pilon is ranked 10th in the region and 50,887th in the world for Most Corrupt Governments.

(December 19, 2005) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 121st in the world for Largest Cheese Export Sector.

(January 24, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 697th in the world for Largest Public Sector.

(January 3, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 34th in the world for Largest Gambling Industries.

(January 30, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 28th in the world for Largest Publishing Industry.

(January 27, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 129th in the world for Largest Insurance Industry.

(January 23, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 201st in the world for Largest Arms Manufacturing Sector.

(February 2, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 1,404th in the world for Largest Welfare Programs (per capita).

(February 22, 2006) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 180th in the world for Largest Retail Sector.

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